Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1887-11-16
THE TORN GLOVE
BY MAJOR HAMILTON.

hurried up town. 1nAu delayed long
er than | knew, interested deeply IN
his account OF an intricate will case, IN
which be was Just at that time en-
gagged AS | now remember, q proper
ty of some two millions, held by a
resiauery legatee, had suddenly been
claimed by one who announced him
self as the direct heir and devisee, q
nephew of the testator, who had not
been heard from in several years.
ABORT deemed the fellow aA impos-
ter, and although his story had been
we'll told, and his plan Of action well
laid throughout, my friend thought
he had secured proofs OF its falslty.
In fact he had bundle of papers con-
tanning the positive proof that Neil
Harcourt was not Neil Harcourt,
nephew of old Duncan Harcourt,
testator; and it was his explanation
of this case that had rendered me SO
late on my up town journey.
AS | hurried onward, mechanically
my hand sought my pocket for cigar.
and finding none-a most unusual
condition of things-I glanced about
for some place where l could purchase
some.
Just down side street a light STRUCK
my eye and moving toward 1t found
g. small but neat cigar store, waited
upon by girl.
I entered, threw down my money
and called for cigars. The waitress,
or shop girl, was evidently on the
point Of closing, for one light was al
ready out, and she wore her hat and
shawl; more than that as she placed
g. handful Of regalias before me I no.
ticed that she had also drawn on her
gloves, and that one, that upon the
left hand, had been torn partly across
the palm, and neatly mended by the
insertion of another bit of kid.
This trifling incident would doubt
less have escaped me, had it not been
that the glove was a pale orange in
color, whereas the inserted kid was
black.
l selected my cigars, lit one and
walked out. An hour later, / was at
home and in bed.
The second morning after, Tread at
my breakfast table that Lawyer Al
port had been murdered the night be-
fore
To say that | was shocked would be
but feebly to express my horror. Al
port was q warm personal friend, my
attorney, and g. man without stain.
His death in the most natural way
would have been q sad loss to me; to
hear Of his end by murder simply par
alyzed me.
Leaving the table as soon as I could
collect my thoughts sufficiently so to
do, at once threw on my hat and
eovercoat and hurried down town.
My friend Office was in Blank Street,
q little off from the main current of
travel, but this morning [ found g.
number OF persons gathered about it
-neighhors, storekeepers and brother
lawyers-passing whom, [ confronted
an officer standing guard at the office
door.
He would have stayed my entrance,
but as I handed him my card his face
changed.
''Mai. Minton, of thedetectives? ?" he
said, inquiringly.
| bowed.
The man at once opened the door.
s'You'l find Capt. Ross and an
other gentleman inside. [ presume
they'll be glad to see you"
/ entered.
As the policeman had said, found
two detectives-men whom [ knew
within. Their story was soon mine.
1t seemed that Airport had been in
his Office late; that lady had called
in the evening and remained an hour
or more; that after she had left his
light continued to burn q long time
until morning probabiy-and that
it was not until some lmportunate
client opened the unlocked door, at
about 9 A. NJ, chat the death of the
attorney was known.
He lay dead in his Office chair, when
found, a thin foreign looking knife
sticking in his heart. Evidently he
had been struck unawares; there had
been no struggle, but little blood, and
no robbery that the officers could dis
cover.
Nor was there any clue remaining.
Evidently the woman had killed him,
though why, was as yet unanswered.
No one knew the woman.
''But the reason-the motive?" said
I. "Surely here must have been one.
Ii we can find that we may have a.
clue TO hecriminal. Without it every
thing is in the dark"
f'True," replied Ross; shut the mo.
tive is just what puzzles US. Itevident-
tly was not robbery, as his watch and
money we're on his person when
found" "Hold!" said l, with sud-
den thought, "Might he not have been
robbed OF papers ?"
eyes; but what ones? How do we
know what documents he had?"
A new idea had come to me.
gan at once to search for his papers
which Airport had read to me two days
before-the proofs in the Harcourt
case.
They were gone, but | found in their
stead, lying among letters and legal
litter In his waste basket, q torn glove.
bloody, and mended across the palm
with a bit of black kid.
drew it out with shout.
HE was robbed of some important